TNAG-0332-FCO40-368-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 196

Monday, February 7, 1972

THE RT. HON. SIR ALEC DOUGLAS-HOME, K.T., M.P.

**

Sir Alec Douglas-Home, who has in the past served as Secretary

of State both for Foreign Affairs and at the former Commonwealth Relations

Office, became in June 1970, after the Conservative Party's return to

office in the general election, Secretary of State for Foreign and

Commonwealth Affairs. Sir Alec was Britain's Prime Minister from

October 1963 until the change of Government a year later, when he became

Leader of the Conservative Party and of the Opposition in Parliament.

resigned in July 1965, becoming a member of the Consultative Committee

(Shadow Cabinet) of his successor Mr. Edward Heath.

Before succeeding Mr. Macmillan as Prime Minister in 1963

Sir Alec, as the Earl of Home, had been Secretary of State for Foreign

Affairs and a member of the House of Lords. On becoming Prime Minister

he disclaimed his earldom and other peerages, won a by-election at

Kinross and West Perthshire, and returned to the House of Commons, of

which he had formerly been a Member for many years before succeeding

to the earldom.

Sir Alec was born in London on the 2nd July 1903, into a family whose records go far back into Scottish history, to the granting of lands and a castle by King William the Lion more than 750 years ago. One of Sir Alec's ancestors was Scottish Ambassador to England in the

15th century; another led the van at the battle of Flodden in 1513.

He

/He was